Open-back shoe with stiffening



Dec. 14, 1948. T. A. COCHARY 23,059

OPEN BACK SHOE WITH STIFFBRING MEANS Original Filed larch 28. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEVTOR.

Dec. 14, 1948. T. A. COCHARY OPEN BACK SHOE WITH STIFFENING MEANS Original Filed larch 28, 1947 2 Shots-Sheet 2 Reamer). 14, 1948 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE OPEN-BACK SHOE WITH STIFFENING MEANS I Thomas A. Cochary, Brockton, Mass. Original N0. 2,448,169, dated August 3, 1948, Se-

rial No. 737,817, March 28, 1947.

Application iorreissue September 28, 1948, Serial No. 51,562

This invention. consists in anew and proved shoe of the open back type'and in a novel method of making the same.

Open back shoes now in demand for women's wear have had the serious objection that they retain for a relatively short time the fine lines imparted to them by the last in the manufacturing process. This is largely due to the fact that shoes of this type have no counterstifiener. In womens shoes of more conventional type the whole rear portion of the upper is shaped and sustained by a counterstiffener that is molded accurately to the shape of the last and may be relied upon to maintain its molded shape for substantially the whole life of the shoe. On the other hand, open back shoes are cut away and present an aperture above the heel seat which is substantially the shape of the usual counter stiffener. Accordingly, there is nothing whatever in this location to assist the 7 upper in maintaining its shape in wear.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe of the open back type having a stiffening and reinforcingv member included in the structure of the upper throughout its shank portion. I have discovered .that such a member supplies the want of a counterstiffener and tends effectively to bring desired contour. In those cases where the stiffener is located in the inside shank portion of the upper,

the stiffener-has the'additional function of an arch supporting 'member and thus improves-not only the appearance of the shoe but its comfort I 1 to-the footof the wearer.

' f The open back shoe of my invention may be pro- 'duced by inserting'a solvent-softening blank hav.-'

ingza curved rear edge between the piles of a lined upper having'a curved rear edge defining the .pD rture-oi' the open back, registering the curvededges of the said blank and upper and fastening the blank in place in the shank portion thereof, -then' softening the blank byliquid solvent applied through the lining,'shaping an, upper tothe last, andfinally causingthe blank to stiffen. in conformity to the shape thereof. I I I These and other features and'advant'ages of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the" following description of a preferred manner of producing open back shoes in accordance with my invention as illustrated in the ac- I companying drawings in which:

, Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the finished shoe, w Fig.2 is a plan view of the stiffening blank,

Fig. 3 is a similar view-of the outer ply or inout and maintain inthe shoe the'fine lines'of the -3 Claims. (CI. 36-85) 2 tegument of the upper showing the stiffening blank in position thereon,

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the lining in place,

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the lined blank in condition for assembling, and

Fig. 6 represents the same blank as seen from its finished surface.

The shoe herein shown is provided with a stiffening blank inserted between the outer and lining pliesof the upper in the inside shank portion of the shoe, the stiffening blank extending from the edge of the open back aperture to the ball line of the shoe, and from the edge of the sole to the top edge of the upper. It would be within the scope of the invention to'provide a similar stiff ener in the outside shank portion of the upper, or in both sides of the upper if desired..

The stiffener blank II), as shown in Fig. 2, has converging front and rear edges. The two front edges are curved and meet at a point Ill. The rear edge M is of concave curvature and intersects a short straight rear edge at the point I5. The stiffener may be of any desired thermoplastic or solvent-softening material commonly employed for counterstifieners and comprising I a textile fabric saturated or coated with a cellulose ester capable of being gelatinizedby a suitor cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose are suitable impregnants and these may be readily softened.

able solvent as topermit the stiffener blank to acquire. a, plastic or moldable state requisite for incorporation into and shaping with the upper during the lasting operation. Cellulose acetate,

by such solvent imixtures as acetone, diacetonealcohol, glycol monoacetate, ethylene oxide and the like, all of these being readily available in the shoemaking industry.

The upper blank ll may be died out from leather or=fabrlc and is shown in Fig. 3 with its unfinished surface uppermost. It. will be noted that the left hand edge of the upper, as shown Y in Fig. 3, corresponds in outline to the left hand edge of the stiffener blank III. The stiffener is' now placed in position upon the upper'and cemented thereto. A textile lining blank I2 is next".

prepared and cemented to the upper H and the stiffener blank I0, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The lined upper with its interposed stiffener is now recut as indicated in Fig. 5, the throat being formed lnthis operation.

The recut upper is now provided with a French cord binding 16 about the toe portion, and a French cord binding I'I about the throat portion. In this operation the upper edge of the stiffener blank I is caught by the binding along the throat opening. The French cord binding is now pressed and a'line of spaced'stitching 18 carried around the edges of the upper which are to be exposed in the finished shoe. At this time a strap [9 is secured to the inner side of the upper, and a buckle 20 to its outer rear end. The-line of stitching 2| by which the strap is secured also catches the rear straight edge of the stiffener blank.

The upper is now ready to be assembled with the insole and lasted in' the regular-manner. Preparatory to this step, however, the stiffener blank I0 is softened by solvent applied through the lining l2. The upper is now lasted withthe stiffener blank in soft, limp condition, and the composite structure of the upper is shaped accurately to the contour of the last. After the lasting operation the solvent rapidly evaporates from the stiffener and the latter hardens into the molded shape of the last which has been imparted to it, thereby providing a stiff, resilient, shapemaintaining element in the upper. I

For best results it is important to locate the stiffener as shown in the accompanying drawings, that is to say, it must extend fully from the rear edge of the upper at the open heel to, but not in advance of the ball line. It will be, therefore; entirely coextensive with the inside shank portion of the upper from the sole line to the top of the upper. The stiffener thus gives body to support the upper about the aperture of 1. The process of making open back shoes which comprises the steps of providing a stiffening blank of solvent-softening material having forwardly and rearwardly converging edges, cementing the blank in a flat condition to the inner face of a lined upper with the rear converging edges of the blank substantially overlying the edge of the upper at the open back thereof, cementing the lining to the stiffening blank, top stitching the upper and lining, softening the stiffening blankby liquid solvent applied through the lining, and then lasting and finishing the shoe.

2. The process of making open back shoes which comprises the steps of inserting a solvent-softenthe open back and keeps the inside shack portion of the shoe smooth and free of wrinkles.

While improving the appearance and wearing qualities of the shoe, it will be noted that the process of my invention interferes at no point with the regular shoemaking methods now practiced in the manufacture of womens shoes.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent;

ing blank having a curved rear edge between the plies of a lined upper having a curved rear edge defining the aperture of an open back upper, registering the curved edges of the said blank and upper and fastening the blank in place in the inside shank portion of the upper, softening the blank by liquid solvent applied through the lining, shaping the upper to a last, and causing the blank to stiffen in conformity to the shape thereof. b

3. An open back shoe including in its structure a lined upper having a binding about its top edge, a fabric stiffening member inserted in place between the upper and lining, a row of stitching along the top and rear edges of the upper confining the stiifening member, said member extending verticall from the sole line toward the top edge and longitudinally from near the edge of the open back into the inside shank portion of the upper and toward but not in advance of the ball line, the stiffening member conforming to the contour of the shoe and resiliently maintaining the upper in smooth condition without wrinkles in wear.

THOMAS A. COCHARY.

No references cited. 

